Local man stabbed to death

Trailer park slaying Athens' first of 2005

Posted: Wednesday, January 19, 2005

By Joe Johnsonjoe.johnson@onlineathens.com

A 67-year-old resident of a mobile home park in southeastern Clarke County was stabbed to death Monday afternoon, apparently following a struggle with man who was seen fleeing the scene, Athens-Clarke police said.

Police have at least three possible suspects in the slaying of George Bennett, who became the first Athens murder victim in 2005.

Bennett, a retired widower who lived alone in a Lexington Road trailer park owned by George and Linda Seabolt, was responsible for collecting rent from other residents in the park, according to police, who said robbery might have been the motive for the fatal attack.

Linda Seabolt told police she was ringing Bennett's doorbell at about 3:40 p.m., when she heard "a loud commotion with lots of thumping and banging noises" coming from inside, police said.

The woman, who lives on South Milledge Avenue, ran back to her van and saw a man running from Bennett's trailer. The man fled into the woods behind the trailer, heading toward the nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter at Lexington and Whit Davis roads, police said.

An officer who responded to Seabolt's 911 call entered the trailer by prying open the front door and found Bennett on the floor, bleeding from fatal stab wounds to his neck, police said.

Special

George Bennett of Athens, shown in his backyard last summer, was found stabbed to death in his home Monday.

Bud Dailey, who lives across the street from Bennett's trailer, said Bennett was his best friend. Dailey said Bennett had been the victim of both a robbery and burglary the past several weeks, and that he had bought a .22-caliber rifle to defend himself.

"I think it was those crack addicts who robbed him, and they came back and killed him," Dailey said.

"After he was robbed, George was getting to be real scared, so he got himself a rifle and said that he would kill them if they ever came back," Dailey said. "I think he was going for his rifle when he was killed."

Police said no rifle was found in the victim's trailer, and that it is possible the killer took the weapon.

Lt. Clarence Holeman of the police department's robbery/homicide squad said Bennett had not exactly been the victim of a robbery. Instead, a woman who knocked on his door a couple of weeks ago stole rolls of quarters after he let her inside.

Holeman said he did not have immediate access to information concerning the burglary, but according to Dailey, Bennett's trailer was broken into by someone who stole metal strongboxes containing his collection of old coins, his marriage license and other documents.

The police lieutenant said detectives were investigating "at least three" possible suspects, and that the suspects "were not necessarily associated" with the earlier crimes at Bennett's trailer.

According to Dailey, Bennett lived in the neighborhood known as "Seabolt's Mobile Home Park" for more than 20 years. He said his friend retired from the U.S. Army and that his wife died many years ago.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff

Dailey said he thought robbery was the motive because, as rent collector for the Seabolts, Bennett was known to have as much as $2,000 in his trailer sometimes.

"I bet those crack addicts caught wind of that," he said. "They probably knew he had that money."

The Seabolts did not return a message seeking comment.

The man seen running from Bennett's trailer is described as white, and wearing eyeglasses, a gray shirt and blue overalls, according to police. A K-9 unit searched the area, but lost the killer's scent near Wal-Mart, where police said he might have got into a car.